Top Pitching Prospect for the Cardinals Shines Healthily in 2023 Season
Hey there! Let's talk about the resurgence of Chen-Wei Lin, a promising right-hander in the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league system. After battling an injury earlier this season, Lin returned to action in May, making a splash with back-to-back impressive outings in Low-A and High-A.
Lin's comeback run began with a 2-inning, scoreless stint for Palm Beach. Notably, his high-90s velocity on his fastball, even touching 99 MPH, was a significant return to form. Following that demonstration, the Cardinals promoted him to High-A Peoria, where he's racked up four more starts.
As of now, Lin has a sparkling 1.93 ERA over 14 innings pitched in High-A. He's shown off his electric fastball, as well as a brutal gyro slider, resulting in 15 strikeouts and only 5 walks.
While Lin missed out on the first month of the season due to an injury, his return has significantly boosted the Cardinals' pitching prospect depth. As per MLB.com, he ranks as the 13th best prospect in their system, but there are five pitchers ahead of him. The likes of Quinn Mathews and Tink Hence have also been dealing with setbacks, while Cooper Hjerpe underwent Tommy John surgery and Sem Robberse and Brian Holiday are both out for the rest of the season due to injuries.
If Lin can maintain this hot streak into June, he could see a jump in the prospect rankings and provide the Cardinals with a solid pitcher in the low minors on the rise. So, keep an eye out for this young gun, folks! Let's see if he can bring some much-needed excitement back to the Cardinals' pitching prospects.
(/s) Now, I'd love to add a bit more color to the story, but here's where we need to be careful. Some say Lin's high-90s heat and filthy slider are a recipe for disaster for any poor soul stepping into the batter's box. Others argue that his control needs some fine-tuning, but hey, who are we to judge? All in all, this kid's got talent, and if he keeps his head screwed on right, he could be a real force to reckon with. Let's just hope those injuries don't slow him down again! (**)Sources**: 1 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch 2 - MLB.com 3 – Cardinals Minor League Report 4 – The Midwest League Report.
Chen-Wei Lin's impressive pitching performances in baseball, particularly his high-90s fastball and devastating gyro slider in the Minor Leagues of the MLB, have been capturing the attention of scouts and fans alike. As a promising right-hander in the St. Louis Cardinals' system, he ranks as the 13th best prospect, but could potentially climb the ranks if he maintains his stellar form throughout the season.
